Category: Weather

Echoes of danger: Chicago’s unearthly tornado sirens

L.T. Hanlon2 Comments
Eerie tornado sirens echo through Chicago on Wednesday, July 12, 2023.

Today, a menacing spectacle of nature swept the Chicago area as severe thunderstorms unleashed their fury.

Raging showers occasionally lifted to reveal a swirling nightmare: as many as eight tornadoes were reported across the Chicago area.

From my vantage point, I saw the unrelenting spectacle unfold, my awe and fear intermingling.

The tornado sirens pierced through the chaotic weather soundscape, their eerie wails heralding impending disaster like Morlocks calling Eloi to dinner. They seemed weird, unearthly – akin to a mournful cry from another world, broadcasting a clear message: seek shelter; danger is imminent.

The sirens’ haunting resonance became the city’s heartbeat, lending a surreal rhythm to the scene. A chorus of warnings and despair reverberated through the windswept town, adding a minus undertone to the day’s frightening spectacle.

Tornado sirens are genuinely a reminder of the fragile boundary between civilization and the raw power of nature.

Have you witnessed a tornado? Been in one?

Chi-Town smoked: Not the kind you BBQ

L.T. HanlonLeave a comment
Smoke from Canadian fires reduced visibility in Chicago. (Photo courtesy Arnold Coobee)


CHICAGO — Picture this: You step outside, ready to embrace a beautiful summer day in the Windy City, and you’re met with an ambiance that’s more Smokey Bear than smoky bar.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023, was such a day for Chicagoans as smoke from Canadian wildfires suffocated our beloved skyline. The Great White North’s blaze exports have turned our city into the world’s largest smokehouse. And we aren’t talking about the delectable smoke that graces our taste buds at a weekend cookout.

Arnold Coobee, a resident of the Streeterville neighborhood, summed up the situation for many of us: “My neighborhood smells awful today. The odor is like burned hotdogs.”

Poor Mr. Coobee. If only we were dealing with overcooked frankfurters, not the health hazard of wildfire smoke.

The aroma may be unpleasant, but the smoke is worse than a nasal nuisance. It’s downright dangerous. It’s like giving Mother Nature a pack of cigarettes and asking her to blow smoke in your face.

The elderly, young, and those with pre-existing health conditions are the most at risk. The air is toxic, hazardous, and in your lungs right now if you’re in the city.

So next time, dear Canada, please keep your wildfires to yourselves. We have enough to deal with without adding “respiratory health risks” to our docket.

Until then, we’ll be over here, holding our breaths and longing for the good old days of clean air and city smog.